Timor-Leste (Tetum: Timór Lorosa'e), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (Portuguese: República Democrática de Timor-Leste; Tetum: Repúblika Demokrátika Timór Lorosa'e), also known as East Timor, is a country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Dutch West Timor. The country's size is about 5,400 square miles (13,986 km2).
Timor-Leste was colonised by Portugal in the 16th century, and was known as Portuguese Timor until Portugal's decolonisation of the country. In 1961, Timor-Leste declared its independence along with the rest of Portugal's remaining colonies. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Indonesian Civil War spilled over into the country, prompting conflicts between communist guerrillas and the Socialist Party of Timor and the government. In 1972, Timor-Leste, though not a member of the Allied Pact, joined Allied Forces Indonesia and participated in the defeat of communist forces in the area.
East Timor is one of only two predominantly Roman Catholic countries in East Asia, the other being the Philippines. It is a member of the League of Nations and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries.